They have done what they once only dreamed of

The annual international EliteNeon Cup tournament has ended in Ayia Napa, Cyprus, with young football players from the world’s leading clubs, such as English Everton, Greek PAOK, Italian Juventus, Cypriot APOEL, and Danish Midtjylland participating.

Pyunik 2010, Urartu 2010 and Ararat-Yerevan were among the three Armenian teams that left for Cyprus.

Pyunik 2010 was included in Group E. The opening match was successful, with the team defeating the Greek Atromitos 2-0 thanks to goals from Gagik Grigoryan and Robert Hovakimyan. A few hours later, another match was expected in the group, where, in a stubborn struggle, the guys played a no-score draw with the Cypriot PAEEK. The last match in the group was against Danish Midtjylland, with Pyunik 2010 suffering its first defeat (0-2).

Gagik Grigoryan

Robert Hovakimyan

“The tournament can be divided into several parts. After the first two games, we had one win and one draw. In the third round, we were defeated by a well-prepared Danish team, but the guys fought to the end, and I can say that we gained the most experience from this defeat,” said head coach Stepan Harutyunyan.

Stepan Harutyunyan

As a result, Pyunik 2010 took 2nd place in the group. In the next match, Pyunik 2010 lost to Cyprus Pafos with a score of 0-2.

“The players felt tired playing against Pafos, but the experience that this game gave us was also important here. There was also a risk of injury, but in these intense matches there were fewer losses than expected,” the coach added.

And the last match, ironically, was between two Armenian teams.

Pyunik beat Urartu’s young players 3-0. In the winning match, Vardan Minasyan and Robert Hovakimyan scored goals. There was also one own goal. At the end of the match, the young players of both teams took a photo together, holding the Armenian tricolor in their hands.

Vardan Minasyan

Robert Hovakimyan

“Such tournaments are important for our students, giving them the opportunity to test their skills at the international level. We are grateful to the club’s management for this opportunity and wonderful experience. We are returning to Armenia stronger,” concluded Harutyunyan.

The teams are already in Yerevan, preparing for the Armenian Championship and the Armenian Cup.